Changing High School Grade if the student deserves it to be changed

So, it’s the end of the semester and during this semester one of my teachers has repeatedly given me an unfair grade for each marking period. I wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it (I ended up with A minuses on the last two), but on this grading period he is going to give me a 50% on a project because i have to turn it in late even though I was sick for 3 days before it was due. This grade will change my marking period grade from an A+ to a B+ which is not fair.

Anyway, is there anyway I can bring a grade complaint to a higher authority because the teacher refuses to do anything about it. What should I do?

Thanks!

Look up the grade appeal policy in your handbook and districts website.

I did…but there is nothing included in the Course Handbook. Should I just email the director of the department or should I contact the Principal?

Did you teacher have a clear late policy on their syllabus/etc.? If so, you probably won’t have much luck. Besides that, I would contact your counselor first.

Does your school have a specific late policy? Honestly if you fight this enough you should be able to get it changed ( get your parents involved) bc schools don’t like to fight for a long time once parents get involved

Yes, the late policy is 50% off of grade. Also, the assignment was assigned 6 weeks ago, and I worked on during this time, but I also had to study for APs. So, I saved the last part for the last 3 days, during which time I was really sick.

Did you contact the teacher to work something out when you realized you were sick?

I did not contact the teacher…but that is because I literally could not get out of bed when I was sick; the only reason why I went to school on the day that the assignment was due is to take a math test.

You don’t have to get out of bed to send an email…unless you were in a coma, you had three days to tell the teacher, “I need help, what can I do?” If you don’t ask for concessions, why should you get them after the fact?

^I see your point and I agree, it was slightly irresponsible of me not to contact him before the fact.

Get your parents and administration involved

If your parents are responsible people they will let you suffer the consequences. You were late and did not contact your teacher. You deserve the grade you got.

It’s not even close to your fault. If you are absent, you do not have to contact the teacher until you get back. At my school the policy is that you get the same amount of days you were absent to make up the work. Therefore, if your school is similar, you would have 3 extra days to get the project in.

@apandia Your school is very permissive. You are in for a shock when you go to college or get a job.

@TomSrOfBoston I know it’s different. I’ll adapt to the situation, as with any different institution. Teachers in my school have the same policy as you detail, but it’s not all that different. Why do people always assume that the youth are always “in for a shock”? I know some people are static in their ways, but it’s called changing with the environment, sir.

Generally, the “three-day rule” works for homework, but not for big projects which students have had weeks and months to complete. Either way, they should have gotten what they had in. If they didn’t have anything, it’s their fault for procrastinating–something like this could have happened to anyone.

That is by no means certain.

We have witnessed a lot of it. Young adults expecting the workplace to adapt to their preferences and situations. Hint: being hung over from a weekend partying binge is not a valid excuse for calling off Monday.

Update for ppl that see this thread in the future: my teacher gave me full points for the project after he realized how sick I was

When a teacher gives you six weeks to complete an assignment, you are probably going to need a note from a doctor to claim sickness to get out of turning it in on time. And the fact that you managed to get to school that same day to take a math test mitigates your claim of being too sick to function.

I would have at least had a parent check in with the teacher in question ahead of the deadline and ask if there were any other options for turning in the assignment later.

Chalk this up to “lesson learned” and work ahead on your next long-term assignment.

Here’s the policy in my school:

If you’re sick the day a project is due, you have some options:

  • get a friend, relative, neighbor to bring it in.
  • get someone to get it into the mail. As long as it’s postmarked on or before the day it’s due, it’s on time
    In fact, this year I even took a series of emailed pictures of the completed project as evidence it was done.
    -take the late penalty.

Having six weeks to complete an assignment, and letting it wait until the last 3 days-- particularly during AP season – is pretty much spitting into the wind.